The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-03
A REGIMENT OF UNEMPLOYED
MINISTERS.
Ministers who will go to Work in From
tier Fields.

From the Independent, NoU. III
In round numbers there are about
one thousand unemployed Congrega-
tional ministers in the United States.
This fact is somewhat startling and in
dicates something wrong. This unem-
ployed regiment is equal to one-fourth
of the entire ministerial force of Con-
gregationalism in this country. They
have been educated and trained for
their work at vast cost of time, hard
work and money and represent in a
spiritual sense vast unemployed cap
ital which is sadly needed in the MAS
ter2s business
Or. Strong SAYS sBat n we had ten
times as many seminaries and they were
each filed with twice as many students
as now, it would be impossible to sup
ply the demand for ministers west of
the Mississippi River. Ard yet here
are thousand ministers not in the ac-
tive ministry, and practically untitled
for any other useful employment. We
may assume that some of them have
mistaken their calling and that others
are in transit from one field of labor to
another; but this can represent but a
small per cent. Then, doubtless, some
are old and incapable of further charge
or responsibility. A few have married
rich wives and their throats have given
out in consequence, and they have been
compelled to take long, if not perma-
nent vacations. Still there is almost a
regiment left.
Take a case, hardly an imaginary
one. This man was considered twenty
years ago one of the bright and shining
and rising lights. He was young man
of splendid natural gifts prize man
in college; graduate of one of our
Oldest seminaries a brilliant writer
and a fine speaker. You see him hang
ing about publishing house in which
are one or two denominational editorial
rooms and mission secretaries offices.
He looks detected, and is clad in seedy
and threadbare clothes. After greeting
him you inquire where he is now set
tied. He replies sadly and lugubri-
Ously Nowhere" "Why, my dear
brother, how does that happen?' "Well,
don't know. l got out of pastorate
more than three years ago, and have
never been called to one since l have
been doing little supply work in the
meantime, have in fact been temporary
supply for several churches, but some
how when they come to call minister
they do not call me-" You express
your surprise and sympathy and ask
him concerning his family. There are
half a dozen children, the eldest about
sixteen years old. His possible income
from supplies and an occasional con-
tributed article is not altogether more
than six hundred dollars, hardly a me-
chanic's wages. "Why don't you go
out West and begin life and work
afresh You are not yet an old man
and now that you have unfortunately
won the degree of W. c. ("Waiting for
a Call''l, it is more than probable that
you will fail of a settlement here, where
you are best known. Go at once to the
Secretary of the Home Missionary Soci-
ETY. and ask for an appointment to a
frontier field; take hold of work out
there vigorously and in a little while
you will be in full swim of work again. :"
mo, l am an Eastern man like the
East and l do not like the West. think
the churches here owe me a call, and
am expecting to get one. l have lots
of friends and they are all working for
me, and l do not see why it is that
am left out in the cold" And so on,
and so on. 1t is pitiful to hear him